Union Health Minister JP Nadda launched the Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Bengal, saying people of the State can now access several health programmes, including the upgraded Ayushman Arogya Mandir and HPV vaccination for girl children.

With the signing of the MoU between the State and National Health Authority on Monday, the only state to have remained out of the national scheme will come under its ambit. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, was present at the event.

The scheme will cover an estimated 1.43 crore households in the state — including 1.24 crore poorest households, 15.95 lakh people aged 70 and above, and 3.06 lakh frontline health workers. The Centre has already released Rs 976 crore for the implementation of the scheme in less than a month after the formation of the new government in the state.

A nine-member team from the state has already visited Delhi for training while a five-member team from the National Health Authority visited the state to prepare for implementation of the scheme. A video-conference was also held between the Nadda and Adhikari to fast-track the implementation of the scheme.

Once implemented, the inter-state portability built into the scheme will immensely benefit migrant workers and “medical tourists” from the state. CM Adhikari said that there were nearly 1 crore migrant workers who travel to other states from Bengal, who will now be able to use their Ayushman Bharat card to get treatment wherever they are located.

West Bengal Principal Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal added that these migrant workers already have the Swasthya Sathi card, which was introduced by the previous government, but it is of no use in the other states. On medical tourism, he said, “People travel to Tata Memorial in Mumbai, CMC Vellore, AIIMS in Delhi, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttak, Shankar Netralaya, AIG and LV Prasad in Hyderabad. Now they will be able to get benefits in all these hospitals.”

Both Nadda and Adhikari said that the previous West Bengal government had not implemented several other health schemes. CM Adhikari said that the National Health Mission — the biggest programme under the health ministry aside from Ayushman Bharat — was not implemented in the state for the two preceding financial years. “The first tranche of Rs 527 crore under NHM has already been released.”

Another Rs 976 crore for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat has also been released, with the state set to receive a total of Rs 3,500 crore as support from the Centre for implementing its health schemes. Adhikari said that the guideline to involve MPs and MLAs for TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan had also not been carried out in Bengal, but the new government has since reached out to nearly 80% of legislators in the state. The 7.5 lakh 14-year-old girls in the state had also not been receiving the HPV vaccine that had already been allocated by the Centre, he said. The new government has since immunised 33,788 girls.